There is much in the news about breaking the glass ceiling of prejudice in the fight for equality of the sexes. Less known are the spiritual underpinnings of this movement and its history in the heart of Islam.听 What was the reaction in the Middle East to the first stirrings of emancipation? What events were happening there at the time of the emergence of the first Western suffragettes?听 What can we learn from the tragic story of Tahirih in our quest to build a better world?
This subject will be the first in the new,听Building the Future听series of public talks. It will be on听Saturday, August 27th. Visiting speaker Nava Bastani Sarracino will present the story of Tahirih, one of the first women to demand emancipation and announce a new era in women鈥檚 rights, a topic of enduring relevance to our times.
The presentation will take place in the auditorium at the听Cook St. Activity Centre,听,听Victoria. (Entrance off parking lot), followed by Q&A and refreshments. It will be a privilege to have Nava available for discussion in this informal setting.听Doors open at听6:40 p.m; the talk will begin at听7 p.m.听Parking is limited so guests are requested to arrive in time to find street parking if necessary, and be seated.听
With its skillful combining of storytelling and theatre, 鈥�罢补丑颈谤颈丑鈥�听has been enthusiastically received by many communities around the world. Nava Sarracino is an actress and storyteller of Iranian Bah谩鈥櫭� heritage, who鈥檚 made her home in Anchorage, Alaska. She will give a 30 minute talk followed by a 30 minute dramatic presentation on听鈥湴詹钩缶卑背筲��,听the brilliant Iranian poet who was the first woman in the Middle East to give her life for women鈥檚 rights.
Nava has been hailed as a tour-de-force for her one-woman performance of 鈥淭he Syringa Tree鈥�. Her current piece, 鈥淭he Child Behind the Eyes鈥�, is being featured at this year鈥檚听,听just before and after her presentation on August 27th.
Sheila Flood practices the 听and is Secretary of the Victoria Multifaith Society.
You can read more articles from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking,
